


Tuttle Butter

by Goddess47



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Fluff, M/M, no really literally fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-25 09:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13831179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goddess47/pseuds/Goddess47
Summary: "What the heck is tuttle butter?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For RomancingMcShep as well as Picfor1000
> 
> Chapter 1 is for Picfor1000, Chapter 2 is mostly a coda...

John was in the breakfast line, tired after a long night waiting for Rohmer's team to return. Bad weather and a small mudslide had delayed the team's return until the middle of Atlantis' night.

He peered at the sign in front of Senior Airman Matias. "What the heck is tuttle butter?" he asked.

Matias spread a generous dollop on a slice of bread and handed it to Sheppard. "Try it."

John took a nibble and smiled. "Peanut butter!"

Matias grinned. "Close enough! And, even better, it has none of the allergens of peanuts!"

"That will be popular," John said. 

"Already is!" Matias replied. "This is the second tub and it's going fast."

John considered for a moment. "See me later?"

"Yes, sir!" Matias answered.

_Later_ turned out to be one lab explosion, a rescue mission for another team, and a week of random sewage back ups, later.

John met with Matias to ask a favor. He didn't use the _I'm the Colonel_ card too often, but Matias seemed happy to help him out.

It was just after breakfast when John leaned in the door way of Rodney's lab. He had seen Rodney _notice_ when he did that, so he used it to his advantage.

"What? We don't have a mission or..." Rodney looked more carefully. "Did I forget something? Why are you dressed like that?"

John glanced down at the fitted jeans and polo shirt he was wearing. He wasn't going to admit he had spent too much time debating about what to wear.

"Thought we could use a day off," John shrugged. "Come to the mainland with me?"

"I have too much to do!" Rodney protested.

"Rodney." Zelenka sighed. "Take pity on the Colonel and go away. There's always too much to do."

Rodney frowned but took a breath as John leaned with _intent_ in the doorway. "Oh, all right! But if anything breaks..."

"Yes, I know," Radek placated him. "It's my fault."

John let Rodney go back to his room and change into more comfortable clothes -- and to pack a backpack with a laptop. _Just in case..._

They finally got to the Jumper and set off for the mainland.

"Wait!" Rodney said, noticing the course they were on. "Where are we going? You said the mainland and I figured we would visit the Athosians."

"Thought we'd scout out a couple of places where we can set up camp, for folk to get away from Atlantis," John replied. 

"That's work!" Rodney protested. "And we don't have enough people for that!"

"The space is already cleared," John countered. "We don't have to do anything but look at it."

"If I have to shoot my way out of anything, you're going to be the first thing I shoot!" Rodney promised.

John laughed.

He set the Jumper down on a clear spot just above a small bay. A sandy beach led into the ocean and small waves lapped the shore. There was a stand of trees a short distance from the waterline, and there were only long grass and low growth bushes to fill the space.

"Okay, this isn't too bad," Rodney admitted. He turned looked around. "Did you bring...."

"Yes, I brought the sun screen." John tossed a jar toward him.

Rodney peered into the Jumper. "What else did you bring?"

"Some food, blankets," John replied.

"Food?" Rodney perked up so fast that John laughed. 

"Yes, plenty of food," John said. "In fact, let's start with a fire pit so we can put the tormack in to roast."

"Where'd you get tormack?" Rodney demanded. "They told me we were all out and weren't due for a delivery for weeks!"

John leaned in to Rodney and dropped a kiss on his outraged face. "I have my ways," he murmured.

"Good thing I like you," Rodney muttered, returning the kiss.

They worked on a fire pit, scrounging wood for the fire. They had to look further away from the Jumper than John had thought, a consideration for any future use of the space.

John spread the blanket on the ground, getting out a pillow for Rodney. Rodney had come a long way, but John didn't want to have to listen to complaints about rocks as they sat on the beach.

Placing the tormack on the edge of the fire, John sat.

"Umm.. is there anything to eat now?" Rodney asked, hopeful.

John grinned. He dug into the sack that had held the tormack and handed Rodney a packet. 

"I suspect this will keep you for a bit," John said, taking a packet for himself.

Rodney unwrapped the sandwich prying the slices of bread apart. "What..."

"Try it," John said softly. "It's safe, I triple checked."

Rodney took a small bite and chewed for a moment. "Where did you find the makings for a fluffernutter sandwich?" Rodney took a larger bite.

"You know that tuttle butter stuff they developed?" John asked.

Rodney nodded, too busy devouring the sandwich to answer.

"Talked to the cooks and asked if they had anything they could put with the tuttle butter that would be safe for you," John replied. 

"I know!" Rodney replied. "Most jellies have lemon in it... to brighten the flavor, and make it deadly. Since I couldn't eat most jellies, I didn't eat any."

"That's what we came up with," John admitted. "But I suspected you'd be the fluffernutter type and they were able to come up with a small batch for you. But don't ask for it too often, evidently it takes a lot of sugar and even with our connection to Earth, it's not something they can afford to make regularly."

"I know!" Rodney agreed. "And even I can't afford to eat that much sugar too often." He leaned toward John for a kiss. "But it's a great treat. Thank you!"

Sandwiches finished, John stowed their trash and moved closer. "Nap time," John said, putting his arms around Rodney. They shifted, Rodney resting his head over John's heart and closed their eyes.


	2. About Tuttle Butter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My head canon for where tuttle butter comes from...

Senior Airman Angel Matias was from Georgia. Deep south rural Georgia.

He grew up with his MeeMaw... his dad's mother... and learned to cook at her side. MeeMaw died a few months after Angel graduated from high school. Having no reason to stay in Georgia, Angel joined the Air Force and went off to see the world.

Cooking skills learned from MeeMaw gave Angel a trade and he was soon fast tracked into Quartermaster Corp. Since soldiers went everywhere, so did the cooks and Angel ended up in places he never thought possible. Although he would be the first to admit that Syria wasn't necessarily on his bucket list.

Then a funky test showed that Angel had an unexpected DNA and he soon found himself in Atlantis.

Being an explorer, Angel worked to know more about native Pegasus foods. Which eventually led him to Teyla and her tuttle root soup.

"Umm... this is... interesting," Angel said to Teyla.

"It is considered a food of last resort," she admitted. "It is filling and sustaining, but even I will admit that the taste leaves much to desire."

Angel took a cautious bite of the chopped tuttle root that was in the soup. The texture was familiar.

"Have you tried preparing the root other ways?" Angel persisted.

Teyla shrugged. "When the root is roasted, it becomes very hard," she said. "But when roasted, it is edible, and while it is sustaining, it is not easily palatable."

Ah! That's what he was hoping to hear!

"Is there a small supply I can try something with?" Angel asked. "I have some ideas, and would like some uncooked roots to work with."

"I can get you as much as you would like," Teyla said, confused.

"Excellent!" Angel smiled.

It didn't take long before Angel had something to take to the monthly food review where anyone in the food service staff could propose new menu items.

Angel put out his spread with crackers and he could see when they got it.

"Tuttle butter?" Chief Cooper asked. "What made you think of that?"

"You forget I'm from Georgia," Angel said. "One of the ways that peanuts are prepared is boiled. When I had tuttle root soup, the texture reminded me of boiled peanuts, but I've also learned that boiled peanuts is a regional specialty, and most of the folk on Earth have only had roasted peanuts. So unless you're from the South, boiled peanuts means nothing to you."

"True," Cooper nodded.

"So when I played with tuttle root, the roasting process gave me something close to roasted peanuts," Angel went on. "I had to tweak the process for making the butter, I had to add some sweetening to make it more palatable to Earth taste, but I think it'll be popular."

"What do the docs say?" Cooper asked.

"The best part is that is doesn't have any of the allergens found in peanuts, so it's safe that way," Angel said. "The amount of sugar is negligible and it's high protein, similar to peanuts. They've given it the all clear."

Cooper took another taste and nodded. "Put it out for tasting and we'll see how it goes."


End file.
